


The Old Guard-Feral Jedi Masters Edition

by Mablung17



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic (Comics), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Medical Experimentation, Torture, character death but nobody stays dead, except Palpatine, no knowledge of the old guard required, no spoilers for the old guard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26581747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mablung17/pseuds/Mablung17
Summary: Fay’s eyes flicker, the gunshot through her cheek slowly sealing closed. She makes a tiny breathless sound of inarticulate pain. No matter how many times this happens, it still hurts.The others are slowly coming to as well. Each of them giving miniscule twitches and hisses of pain as their wounds close. Knol whines as a bullet is slowly forced out from a shot through her neck. Nico’s hand scrabbles across the floor, latching on to the grip of his fallen gun. Fay has started to pull herself up, getting her hands under herself in jerky, painful motions.The soldiers haven’t noticed them getting back up yet. Their weapons held loosely, pointed towards the ground. The sounds of quiet conversation covering the shifting as Fay and the others get their feet under them.Fay is halfway to her hands and knees when the first soldier notices them.
Relationships: Jon Antilles & Nico Diath & Fay & Knol Ven'nari, Jon Antilles & Nico Diath & Fay & Knol Ven'nari & Rex, Jon Antilles/CT-7567 | Rex
Comments: 35
Kudos: 64





	1. And So It Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Updates every Monday!

It’s hot in Tatooine, the sun beating down between the awnings stretched over the narrow streets. Red dust stirs into clouds in the wake of Knol’s motorcycle. She weaves around pedestrians with the ease of experience, deftly navigating the confined spaces between the stone buildings. 

Fay’s on foot, her fair skin and blond hair shouldn’t fit in, but Fay’s had a long time to adapt to anywhere. Her backpack is slung over one shoulder. She keeps walking as the sound of a motor draws closer, echoing off the stone walls. She only stops when Knol roars past, turning in a tight arc to face Fay. 

Knol’s wearing sunglasses, the bright sunlight glinting off the lenses. She’s helmetless, with a tight black shirt and a dusty button-up rolled up to her elbows. Her face is split with her usual smile, showing far too much molar for most to be comfortable with. Fay can’t help but answer with her own, gentler smile. Knol leans her bike against a nearby wall, heaving a heavy canvas duffel bag up and onto her shoulder. 

She shoots Fay a look, “You good?” 

Fay tips her head in a nod, small smile still gracing her lips. “Yeah.” Knol might pretend not to care, acting abrasive and brash, but she was almost uncannily aware of the other’s feelings. 

Knol searches her face for a second more, before smirking, “Yeah?” Fay starts walking as Knol catches up to her, keeping pace even as she slings her bag over to the front and starts unzipping it. “You travel?” 

Fay doesn’t look over at Knol, but she knows Knol can hear the wry amusement in her voice as she says, “I did.” 

Knol’s found whatever she'd been looking for in her bag, but she hasn’t pulled it out yet. Instead knocking shoulders with Fay. Her voice practically drips with teasing amusement as she asks, “Did you get me anything?” Fay gives her a dry look and Knol leans back, laughing. Looking down, she pulls a book from her bag. She hands it to Fay, obviously pleased with herself, “First edition Charles Bell.” 

Fay looks up from the book in surprise, “ _ Anatomy of the Brain _ ? That couldn’t have been cheap.” 

Knol looks like the cat that got the cream, somehow grinning even harder than before, “It wasn’t.” Fay huffs in amusement, tucking the book safely into her own bag. When she looks up Knol is watching her with uncharacteristic seriousness. Her sunglasses tipped down over her nose to meet Fay’s eyes, “Why am I here, Fay?” 

“You remember Queyta eight years ago, right?” 

Knol nods, “TEMPLE, I remember”

“Yes. Well the guy who hired up, Obi-wan Kenobi, reached out.” Knol slows to a stop, looking straight ahead. Fay matches her, lowing her voice and leaning in, “He has a situation in Zygerria.” 

Knol’s already shaking her head, turning to face Fay fully. Her voice is hard and forceful, “ _ No _ , Fay. We don’t do repeats. You know that.” Her voice is softer as she adds, “It’s too risky.” 

Fay's voice turns soft as well, her eyes understanding and kind, all she has to say is “Knol.” and the fight drains out of her old friend. 

Knol exhales in frustration, gazing darting around and shifting in agitation before finally saying, “Nico?” 

Fay’s breath of relief is soft, she smiles and settles her hand over Knol’s bicep. “At the hotel.” Knol gives a silent shake of her head and takes off again. Fay follows, just a pace behind.

The outdoor courtyard is tiled in black and white, with comfortable looking seats and small, hardy plants growing from colorful pots scattered throughout. Knol had let Fay take the lead during their trek. She still thought the whole thing was a bad idea, but she would hear Fay, and apparently Nico, out. 

The young man at the desk greets them in accented basic, smiling wide, “Welcome to The Desert Flower, checking in?” 

Fay gives him a serene smile, and replies in Huttenese, setting several credit chips on the counter. He busies himself with the transaction, taking the credit chips in hand and tapping at the holoscreen in front of him. “ _ What brings you to Tatooine?”  _ The question is perfunctory, he is undoubtedly expecting some fabricated answer. After all, who would tell the truth about what they're doing on Tatooine. 

Fay simply smiles again, her voice warm, “ _ Family.” _

Knol half pays attention to the interaction, glancing around the hotel courtyard. There’s a large holoscreen stretching across one wall. Knol takes a step towards it, engrossed in the slideshow of pictures currently parading across it. It’s shots from the war, images of wreckage and ruin. The aurebesh at the bottom reads  _ Ongoing Galactic Crisis: 20 Children Killed 100s Injured in Seperatist Attack  _ before it slides away. It’s replaced with  _ Unrest In Onderon: 1 dead 35 Injured In Second Day Of Protests _ . Behind the barrier of her sunglasses, Knol closes her eyes. 

She opens them again only seconds later, startled by a high voice saying, “Everybody smile!” 

It’s a group of well dressed twenty somethings, one girl holding up a holocam to snap a picture. There’s no time for Knol to move out of the way, she stifles a vicious swear and starts heading over to their group. 

She gives them the barest flash of a smile, already holding out a hand, “Would you like me to take one for you?” 

The one with the holocam laughs, holding it out, “Oh, would you? Thank you so much. I really suck at taking these.” 

They back away, and crowd together, adjusting hair and dresses. Knol works quickly, bringing up the previous pictures. She scrolls one back, and spots herself easily, framed between two of the girls, gazing out just past the camera. She deletes it and checks the rest. There’s only two more where she’s in shot and she deletes those as well. 

The girls have stopped shifting and are smiling brightly at her, she brings the camera up and snaps a few shots. Then gives them another tight smile and hands it back. Fay has finished and is making her way across the courtyard towards Knol. Knol waits until she nears and then falls in step with her. They head towards an open doorway leading further into the building. 

The door opens as they near, revealing Nico. He’s watching them solemnly as they cross the small distance left between them. He hugs Fay tightly when they reach the entryway, pressing close for just a moment. Fay cups the back of his neck, smiling up at him before pulling away. 

Knol swings the panelled doors shut behind them, and when she turns Nico’s eyes are on her. He’s smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkling. They step forward in tandem, wrapping arms around each other. Knol can’t resist and leans back, pulling Nico clean off his feet to spin him around. When they pull apart, he’s laughing, his hands resting on her shoulders. He looks her up and down and nods,

“You look good.” His voice is light, happy to be among friends, among  _ family _ .

Knol laughs, firing back, “You look okay.” She tugs at his moustache and he rolls his eyes, 

“Thank you, I know how much you appreciate the view.”

Knol collapses onto the low couch in the sitting room, immediately sprawling to take up the whole space. Nico rolls his eyes and nudges at her foot, she shifts over and he perches next to her. Fay gives them a fond glance and heads over to the side table at the edge of the room, collecting a tea pot and three cups. As the glazed clay clinks together Knol makes a sound of realization, immediately bending over the side of the couch to dig in her bag, she pulls out a small bag, wound with a leather cord at the neck. Tossing it in Fay’s direction without looking, Fay catches it and turns it around in her fingers. Then she brings it to her nose, breathing in deeply. She makes a contented humming sound, tugging at the cord.

“Tea.” Knol stage whispers to Nico, she gives him a fierce smile. “I’ve got her this time.” 

Nico raises a single eyebrow, watching her intently. He shrugs after a moment, pulling out a few credit chips, “Yeah? Alright then, all in.” 

Fay pauses in brewing the tea, turning to give them an exasperated look, “Really?” 

Knol grins at her, digging in her pockets for her own credits, “Come on, Fay, you know how this goes.” She slaps a hand full of credits down on the table, “All in!”

Fay brings a tray over, setting it down gently she hands out the cups of tea. She brings her own cup to her nose, breathing in deeply. 

She glances slyly at the two of them over the rim of her cup. “Medium sized particulate. Loose leaf. Slightly red in color.” She breathes in again, closing her eyes. She makes a contended noise, savoring the smell. “Hint of… citrus. And vanilla.” She takes a sip, rolling it around in her mouth. She opens her eyes and grins. “Slightly spicy, tastes of caramel.” Knol’s grinning too, leaning forward on the edge of her seat. Nico has an arm over the back of the couch, equally as amused. “Herbal taste, hmm. I’m thinking… Gatalenta. The southern regions, specifically.” 

Knol swears, still grinning, and leans back, she elbows Nico in the side. Nico dodges neatly and scoops up his winnings. Perfectly dignified, he tucks them away. Fay laughs quietly, revelling in their antics. 

Knol looks over at her, sunglasses slipping down her face, she sounds triumphant, despite having lost the bet, ”Admit it, you missed us.” 

Fay huffs, looking down. She looks between them, eyes soft and incredibly fond, “I did.” There’s a quiet moment, soft and sweet and filled with a millennia of history and camaraderie. 

Knol exhales in a rush, then spreads her hands, shaking her head, “It’s a job, guys.” 

Nico nods sharply, “We can do some good.”

Knol watches him for a second, before looking down at her hands, rhythmically clenching and unclenching her fingers, “Have you been watching the news lately? It feels like we’re not helping. Like some good means nothing.” 

Fay’s voice is full of conviction, full of the confidence of hundreds of years of certainty and faith, “This is what we  _ do _ , Knol.” 

Knol nods, “Yeah…” Her voice is more sure as she repeats, “Yeah.” She puffs out her cheeks, blowing out a breath. “Let’s hear him out.”

  
  



	2. A Good Day To Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nobody's gonna stay dead, but if characters dying bothers you probably skip the end of this chapter.

It’s raining lightly, dripping off tarps and pooling in the streets. There's tinny pop music playing from a stereo. Stray dogs and children run through the streets, splashing through puddles. Despite the weather there’s people of all ages going about their business in the open air market.

Fay and Nico make their way down the streets, walking purposefully. It’s not far to the cafe where they’ll be meeting. As they near it, they spot the ginger head of Obi-wan Kenobi. He glances up, and immediately fixes them with a smile. It’s all earnest charm and affability. You’d be hard pressed not to like him. He stands as they approach, pushing back his chair. 

Nico is ahead of Fay, and he greets the agent first, holding out his hand, “Mr. Kenobi.”

“Mr. Diath, hello.” Obi-wan shakes Nico’s hand and turns to Fay, immediately makes a face of apology and says, “And I’m so sorry, I don’t believe I got your full name, last time.” 

Fay gives him a serene smile, “Just Fay is fine.” 

He smiles in return, “Then you must call me Obi-wan. It’s lovely to see you again, you haven’t aged a day.” 

Fay laughs and takes a seat, “Trust me, I have.”

He huffs a quiet laugh before sobering. He pushes a datapad over to their side of the table, it’s already got a news article pulled up, “Yesterday afternoon local, a school southwest of the Drukarg highlands was attacked by slavers. They murdered the teachers and abducted 17 of the students at blasterpoint. The youngest was eight standard, oldest thirteen.” Obi-wan looks desperately sad, “They petitioned the Republic for help, but since there’s no evidence of separatist involvement… our hands are tied.” 

Fay pulls the datapad over to her and starts swiping through the photographs. There’s blueprints and aerial views, as well as some thermal imaging that shows several heat signatures huddled in one corner of the site. She feels righteous anger settle into her bones. 

Obi-wan continues, “Our intelligence has confirmed the personnel on sight. No food or water being brought in.” 

Nico speaks up, looking over Fay’s shoulder at a photo of the school children, his face grim “That means they’re moving them soon.” 

Obi-wan nods, “And when they do, most likely they’ll be separated, and odds are we’ll never find them again. This has to be done quickly, by the best, and your team’s the best I’ve ever seen. You can name your price.” He hurries to add, like he’s worried they wouldn’t do it, like they’d _refuse._

Fay stands abruptly, unable to keep the barest hint of offence out of her voice, "Of course we'll do it."

Nico collects the datapad and turns to Obi-wan, voice solemn, “We’ll invoice you when it’s done.” 

Obi-wan nods, relieved. And Nico follows Fay into the crowd, letting themselves be swept away.

The beating of the helicopter blades is almost deafening, the setting sun glinting off the sands below. Knol has a block of C4 balanced on a board across her lap. She’s working the putty between her hands, rolling it methodically back and forth. Her sword is belted to her waist.

Nico is across from her, watching the landscape fly by, his sword hilt clasped between his long fingers, a gun strapped across his back.

Fay's rifle is clasped loosely between her hands. The pouches at her waist full of tranquilizer rounds. They aren't lethal, but they have some nasty side effects. Her head is bowed, eyes closed and face serene.

The pilot looks back over his shoulder, holding up three fingers. Nico returns the gesture, nudging Fay to get her attention. They all shift, readying themselves to move.

The chopper touches down, and they disembark. Each of them have TAC vests and utility belts. They take a moment to familiarize themselves with the landscape as the chopper lifts off again, blowing dust into a whirlwind. They trek through the sand, skirting the cliffside that towers above them.

They pass some sand-worn locals and Fay smiles, giving them a slight bow, “ _Peace be upon you._ ” 

They give her wary looks at hearing their language from the mouth of a foreigner, especially one dressed as she is, but they return the greeting. 

The full moon rises over the desert, illuminating the landscape for miles. Two lookouts are stationed in a wooden tower. The taller one sweeps a spotlight back and forth across the shadowed dunes. The other holds a pair of night vision goggles to his face, slowly scanning for intruders.

There’s the sound of two near silent shots, the second man noticing movement through the goggles too late. He and his companion collapse as Fay’s darts unerringly find their mark, even in the dark. Knol gives her a nod as she sees them go down.

Knol and Fay take up positions around Nico, as he goes slides to one knee near the fence. The sound of bolt cutters through the silence sets them all on edge. He pulls back the cut section of fence and Knol ducks through, covering them from that side of the fence as Nico, and then Fay moves through. Once Fay clears the fence they're immediately on the move, half bent into defensive crouches. They round the corner of the first building, weaving around obstacles. Each of them instinctively covering the others. 

Nico flattens himself against the wall of a building, just before a corner. He holds up two fingers, Knol nods and immediately reaches up and heaves herself up and over the wall at their back. Fay and Nico wait, frozen, poised for action. There’s the quiet thump of feet hitting the ground and the distinctive metallic singing of a sword.

Nico rounds the corner to the sight of a body on the ground, a second body pinned to the wall by Knol as she wipes her bloody sword off on the guard’s pant leg. Fay moves past her, taking point. She brings her rifle up and fires off two shots. The quiet _hss-snap_ the only warning the incoming guards have before they too collapse. She keeps moving forward, the others stepping over the bodies as they make their way further into the complex. 

They encounter no more guards, entering a courtyard with only the barest illumination. There’s a dusty pile of shoes just outside a door set into the wall. Knol goes to her knees, Fay and Nico taking up position on either side of her, backs to the wall, scanning the courtyard with guns raised. Knol presses the putty, now wired into an active explosive, to the side of the door. There’s a quiet beep and Knol moves away, turning her back to the door. The explosion is small, splintering the wooden door and sending clouds of dust into the air. 

Fay is already moving, rifle raised and ready to shoot. The only light in the gloom is from their gun lights, cutting through the dark is concentrated beams. There’s a steep set of wooden steps and Fay moves towards them purposefully. Knol aims over Fay’s shoulder, Nico covering their backs. They reach the bottom quickly and Fay sweeps the room, her brows furring as they find only a bare concrete room.

“What the…” Knol trails off. 

Nico comes to a stop beside her, his voice is concerned, “Are we too late?” 

Flood lights click on and they all flinch back at the sudden brightness, closing ranks instantly. They’re easy targets, silhouetted against the bright light.

Knol swears viciously, “Mother fuck-” she’s cut off in a hail of bullets. Soldiers dressed in black swarm from shadowed alcoves, firing continuously. They congregate fire, only stopping after the three fall to the floor, riddled with bullets. 

For a moment there’s only the soft metallic pattering of spent rounds raining to the floor. One man steps forward silently, crouching next to the fallen forms. He runs his gun light over their bloody, lifeless faces. 

He stands up, barks “Room clear!” with a strong Coruscanti accent. The rest of the squad lower their guns, checking their weapons over in the aftermath.


	3. What Doesn't Kill You

Fay’s eyes flicker, the gunshot through her cheek slowly sealing closed. She makes a tiny breathless sound of inarticulate pain. No matter how many times this happens, it still _hurts_. The others are slowly coming to as well. Each of them giving miniscule twitches and hisses of pain as their wounds close. Knol whines as a bullet is slowly forced out from a shot through her neck. 

Nico’s hand scrabbles across the floor, latching on to the grip of his fallen gun. Fay has started to pull herself up, getting her hands under herself in jerky, painful motions.

The squad hasn’t noticed them getting back up yet. Their weapons held loosely, pointed towards the ground. The sounds of quiet conversation covering the shifting as they get their feet under them. Fay is halfway to her hands and knees when the first soldier notices them.

“Oh my God.” 

Another soldier turns to look, “Shit!” 

They’re off balance, backing up fearfully instead of bringing their guns to bear. Someone shouts, “Reload! Reload!” 

The snapping of guns cocking and changing magazines sounds throughout the kill box. They’re all eyeing the three with horrified confusion, they don’t move fast enough. 

One exclaims, “What the _hell_ ? _”_ as Knol finally gets her feet under her and lunges, fingers grasping the handgun strapped to her thigh. Fay and Nico only a half second behind her.

Fay’s abandoned her tranq rifle, it’ll be useless in this close of quarters. She bats a soldier's gun out of the way, delivering a swift uppercut to the jaw that sends him reeling, he stumbles backward and she kicks him solidly in the chest. She steps over his dazed form, delivering a brutal kick to the head that snaps it to the side, sending him into unconsciousness. 

Nico slams his gun into the nearest soldier’s head, he goes down with only one hit. Knol snarls viciously and punches another, pressing her handgun directly to his chest as he flails backward. She falls with him, snapping off three shots before he hits the ground. She rolls off of him, lunging upward at another soldier. 

She headbuts him, locking his gun between them so he can’t fire. She twists and his arm breaks, the gun falling to the ground. She yanks his arm further out of alignment, driving him to his knees with a choked cry. Nico delivers a clean shot to the head and Knol lets the body fall, already moving forward. 

Nico plows through another soldier, sending him to the ground with a shattered knee. Knol brings her gun up and finishes him off. 

Fay blocks a punch with her forearm and slams a palm into another soldiers unprotected throat. He falls back, choking and Fay sweeps his feet out from under him. He hits the ground hard and stays down. Fay ducks under another wild swing, catching his forearm and yanking him off balance, she twists and throws him into a wall. 

Knol unsheathes her sword, the first swing taking down two men. Nico reaches for his own, stabbing through the underarm of the nearest soldier. He kicks him into his comrade and Knol runs them both through when they stumble into range. 

Fay yanks a gun straight out of a soldier's hand, and swings in directly into his jaw. She throws him at another soldier and he goes down under the weight. She turns and throws the gun hard enough to take another soldier clean off his feet. 

A wild shot takes out one of the floodlights and half the room goes dark. A soldier swings at Knol and she slides to the left, shoving him hard. He stumbles back into Nico, who brings his sword to the soldier’s throat and slits it.

There’s a crack as Fay slams the last soldier standing into a wall. She steps back and he crumples to the ground. She gazes at him for a second, breathing hard.

Fay turns to the others, face gone hard and blank as she searches them for lingering injuries, “Everyone still with me?” 

“Yes.” Nico’s voice is slightly hoarse.

“Yeah,” Knol pauses to spit out a bullet, “very pissed off.”

Fay gives a single sharp nod and strides over to her dropped tranq rifle. With deft fingers she unstraps one of her belt pouches and pulls out a case of darts. She loads the tranq rifle and goes for the first soldier she downed. 

Fay didn’t kill, but anything short of that was fair game. That included the darts she was using now. The soldiers that went up against Fay would be alive, but their memories would be hazy. The last day or so would be completely gone, but depending on how their body reacted to whatever Fay made the darts with, their memory might start to degrade further. There was also the lingering nausea and migraines that were sure to follow.

The silenced retort of Fay’s rifle every few minutes was the only sound in the room. She’d have to collect the darts after she was done, Fay always went to great lengths to keep people from getting their hands on them. 

Nico shifts, “So where are the children?” 

Fay glances up, then her gaze focuses on something behind them and hardens. Nico and Knol turn and spot what Fay was looking at: a small camera, mounted in one corner. It would have had a clear view of the entire room, and everything that happened in it. 

“There never were any children.” She wraps her fingers around the gun of a fallen soldier, prying is from his hand. It swings freely at her side as she strides past them. The way Fay moves is all danger as she stares down the camera, hand white knuckled on the grip. “We’ve been set up.” She brings the gun up and fires in the same motion. One precise bullet taking out the camera. 

  
  
  


Obi-wan Kenobi sits back in his chair as the camera feed cuts out. One hand comes up to curl over his mouth, running his fingers over his mustache. He breathes out shakily and pulls up the feed on his laptop. Replaying the footage from when they first entered the room. Three dark figures silhouetted in the harsh white light. They fall in a hail of bullets. And then they get up again, and then they _murder_ an entire squad of highly trained men. He pulls out his phone, dialing a number with slightly trembling fingers. It rings only once before someone answers.

“Yes, I’ve… I’ve got it.” He pauses and exhales harshly, “You were right. They’re dangerous. Very dangerous.” He glances at a paper sitting on his desk as he sets his phone down. It’s an old photo, in anachronistic black and white. A group of four people in antiquated military uniforms, gathered in front of a canvas officers tent. Scrawled at the bottom of the photograph, in neat handwriting, are the words _Fay, Nico, Knol, and Jon._


	4. Makes You Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone's throat does get cut this chapter.

Nico’s TAC vest hitting the ground sends up a cloud of dust that quickly settles on top of their pile of gear. Knol digs the shovel into the rocky dirt and piles it into the shallow hole they’ve dug, burying any trace. 

Nico’s arms are crossed as he stares into the middle distance, “One has to admire Kenobi’s attention to detail. Those shoes were a particularly grotesque touch.” His voice was hard, but by the end of the sentence it’s practically glacial. Nico’s always payed particular attention to slavery and human trafficking, he’d have seen countless similar scenes before, they all had. 

Knol drives the shovel deep into the earth with one vicious strike. Bracing one arm on the handle she leans forward and growls, “I knew this was going to happen. I _said_ it.” 

Fay finally looks up from where she’d been absently staring at the ground. She looks tired, the kind of tired that seeps into your bones and won’t leave even after a hundred nights of good rest, “We did it right, Knol. For the right reasons.” 

Knol rounds on her, furious. She jabs a finger at her, “And what did it get us, Fay? What?” She spreads her arms, stepping back, “Nothing! We’ve done _nothing!_ The world isn’t getting any better, it’s getting _worse._ ” She goes quiet, looking away. Hands fisted by her sides.

Nico speaks up, shifting one hand up to tug at his moustache. His tone is apologetic, “I checked him completely and everything seemed legit. I’m sorry.” 

Fay closes her eyes, and then finally says, “They know who we are. They know _what_ we are.” 

“We have to find Kenobi.” Knol’s voice is hard. 

Fay sighs and gets to her feet, “And then what?” 

Knol’s eyes flash, “And then nothing! The world can burn for all I care.” She lifts her bag and settles it on one shoulder, every line of her body tense. She doesn’t look at them as she says, “I’m done.” 

  
  
  


The sun bathes the rocky features of Geonosis in orange light, the sun glittering on the distant horizon. Republic forces are scattered in clusters throughout the village. An olive military jeep pulls in off the long road into the village, whorls of sand dancing in the wake.

A trooper holds out a picture to a group of Geonosian men, who shake their heads. Other troopers are showing the same picture to others, with the same result. 

There’s a cluster of children around one trooper, giggling and smiling. He smiles back at them and brings his closed fist up, uncurling his fingers to reveal a handful of small candies. The children crowd closer, clamoring and reaching. They step back as they each grab one, retreating to eat their prize out of reach. 

As the children part, he spots one standing off to the side. He beckons them closer, an encouraging smile on his face. Cautiously they step closer and he holds out another candy. They take it and give him a gap toothed smile, thanking him in Geonosian. He smiles and haltingly replies in the same language. 

He startles at the shout behind him, “Fett! Where you at?” 

Rex stands up immediately, face going serious, “Here, Sergeant!” 

He vaults over a low wall and strides up to his commanding officer, who says, “The women are holed up in the house with the arches. Take a right at the building with the red carpet. Get me some information.” 

“Yes, Sir.” Rex turns and gives two flat handed knocks to the top of his bucket. Fives looks up from where he was showing a picture to another group of villagers and immediately extracts himself. Jesse bounds down a narrow stone staircase. They, along with a translator, fall in behind Rex, as he starts off down the stone streets. 

Without looking behind him Rex says, “Keep it respectful.”

Fives' voice is sardonic, “Don’t we always?”

Rex smirks, “Never hurts to repeat it.”

They duck through an arch, emerging into a dusty stone plaza, open to the sky. A woman catches sight of them and calls something in Geonosian, she sounds terrified. The rest of the women huddle together, shooting fearful looks towards Rex, Fives, and Jesse with their guns and intimidating military gear.

Rex grimaces and reaches up to pull off his bucket, looking around at the women. He places a hand to his chest, and in passable Geonosian, greets them, “ _My name is Rex. I’m a Republic soldier.”_ He fumbles at his belt for a second, pulls out the picture they’d all been given. He holds it out, “We are looking for this man.”

The translator steps up beside him and says something in quiet Geonosian. Rex speaks slowly in case any of the Women speak Basic, pausing after every sentence to give the translator time to speak. “He has killed many of our people and many of yours. Have any of you seen him?” 

The women don’t speak, all looking towards the ground, though they seem less afraid now. One woman’s eyes flick to his, the first woman to make eye contact. 

Rex leans in, gentles his voice, “You do not disrespect your family by telling us where he is.” 

She says something in Geonosian, voice weary. The translator looks to Rex, “She says there are no men here.” For a second Rex considers cursing, but the translator continues in her musical accent, "To use women as shields is to be no man at all.” 

The woman catches his eye, and then very deliberately turns to look at a doorway covered by a tattered hanging carpet. 

Rex starts moving immediately, bringing his bucket up to put it on. He pauses just before he does and turns, “Thank you for allowing us into your home.” 

The translator starts speaking again as Rex settles his bucket on. Rex gestures sharply at Fives and Jesse, they bring their rifles up and start moving. 

Rex speaks in Geonosian again, one of the few phrases he’s learned “ _We will leave you in peace.”_

He moves quickly through the crowd, rifle pointed to the sky. The translator is hurrying the women out of the way, gesturing for them to move faster and escape the line of fire. Fives takes up position on the opposite side of the door from Rex, both aiming at the door while Jesse covers their backs.

The women scream when a sudden stream of bullets tears through the hanging covering. The carpet falls revealing a set of wooden doors with a hole cut clean through one. 

Rex snarls, “Breach!” and Jesse instantly moves around him, bracing before kicking the doors open. Rex is right behind him and they storm through, he spots a man attempting to reload a gun and shouts, “Stop!” The man swings the gun up wildly but Rex is already shooting. The man takes a chest full of bullets and goes down. Rex sweeps the rest of the room then calls, “Clear! Covering.” 

Jesse echoes “Clear!” Rex crashes down to one knee, he picks up the man’s gun and empties it, throwing it off to the side. 

He grabs at his radio with one hand, the other pats the man down in frantic motions, “Resolute 3, this is Torrent 1. Contact, over.” He turns to face the rest of his squad, “Jesse, go check on the women!” 

Jesse steps back and moves his rifle up and over, avoiding pointing the muzzle at Rex, “Got it!” 

Fives is gazing around at the contents of the room, M27 rifle pointed towards the floor, “Look at all this shit. It's jackpot.” He leans towards a mess of wires and tech on a workbench.

Rex hisses, sounding strained, “Not if he bleeds out. They wanted him alive, remember?” He tears at a package with his teeth, ripping it open.

The man reaches up and grabs at his arm, weakly trying to push him away, “Do not… Do not touch me.” 

Rex leans over him, trying to push him back one handed, “I’m trying to _save_ you!” The man is still pushing at his hands. 

Rex turns around again, barking, “Fives! A little help, please!” 

The man tightens his grip on his knife, bringing it out from where he’d hidden it under his body. His hand shakes with the exertion but still manages to swing his arm out, slicing the blade clean across Rex’s throat. Rex chokes, falling backward. 

Fives’ eyes go wide, “No!” He turns to the door and leans out, voice frantic, “Medic! Man down!” 

Rex’s back hits the floor, hands clutching at his neck. The blood is soaking through his hands, coating the front of his body armor. Fives crashes to his knees next to Rex, one hand desperately trying to stem the blood flow, the other going to support the back of Rex’s head. 

He turns over his shoulder, screams, “Medic!” voice sharp, high and worried. He pulls off Rex's bucket, sending it bouncing and rolling across the floor. Rex’s blood soaks into the braided carpet as Fives presses his other hand to Rex’s neck. 

Rex wheezes and Fives drops his head down, squeezes his eyes closed, “God! Jesus, no. Come here, stay with me. Look at me.” His voice is shaking, “Look at me, you’re gonna be okay.” Rex grasps at Fives’ sleeve, then his wrist. Fives grabs his hand immediately, holding on tight. “Rex. Rex!” Rex’s lead lols, his eyes meet Fives’ and Fives bows in, leaning his forehead to Rex’s, their breath mingling together. “You’re okay, it’s okay. Stay with me. Just look at me, look at me.” He’s shaking Rex, voice gone pleading. “Okay? Medic’s on their way. Kix’s on his way.” Rex inhales with an awful bubbling noise and Fives lets out a pained sound, “No, no! You’re okay, you’re okay. Kix’s coming!” 

Rex breathes out as Fives voice fades off into quiet white noise and the hazy, dust-mote filled light blurs his face.

He breathes in. Fives’ mouth is still moving, his face screwed up in denial. Rex thinks he might be crying.

He breathes out. The sand colored walls and Fives’ form blend together into one solid orange-brown wall.

He doesn’t breathe back in.


	5. Get Back Up Again

The train’s whistle cuts through the flat, acrid landscape. It’s a box car train, all ugly, industrial metal and moving parts. Knol leans back against the squeaking, shaking metal walls, arms crossed, one knee cocked. She glances over. Fay seems to be asleep, curled on her side in the gap between a heavy wooden crate and the wall. Nico is sitting across and slightly down from Knol, head tipped back. Her eyes slip closed and her head nods, chin coming to rest against her chest. 

_There’s a flash. A bright light, blurring everything like a bad migraine. A helmet, resting on a handwoven floor mat. A man’s face, dark skin and close cropped blond hair, staring at the ceiling, glassy eyed._

Nico shifts, brows pinching together. He sucks in a breath, shoulders jolting. _A smiling child, laughter. An old woman, stone walls, woven door hangings. A helicopter._

Fay’s fingers twitch where her hand is laying palm up on the floor. She shifts, face pressing into the floor. _A patch. Military issue, Fett, R stitched into the bottom left corner. A bloody hand, reaching out. A knife, red droplets spilling from a slit throat. A man dressed like a soldier._

Fay, Nico, and Knol jolt awake in unison. Fay brings a hand to her head, wincing. 

Knol has her hands braced against the floor, minute tremors shaking her frame. She turns to Nico and Fay, “What the...” She trails off, uncertain. Then more forcefully, “No. _No_. Not another one. Not now.” Nico reaches into his jacket and pulls out his flask, taking a long, slow drink. 

Fay leans back and says, “It was a man. A Mandalorian Man.” 

Nico speaks up, voice flat, “I saw an older woman, she looked Geonosian.” He turns to Knol, “What did you see?” 

“I saw-” She stops, clamping her lips together. 

Fay watches her, then turns to Nico, “I saw part of a nametag. F something.” 

“Fett.” Nico and Fay both glance at Knol. She isn’t looking at them, sounding defeated and so, so tired. She continues, “Dirt wall, clay floors.” 

Fay adds, “And a medevac.” 

Nico’s stroking his moustache, thinking, “Yes, so maybe a… a coalition. Medical team.”

“The knife was a pesh-kabz. Geonosian.” Knol holds her hands to approximate the length. 

Fay runs her hand over her throat absently, “I felt him die.” She turns her head just slightly, looking over at the others, “He’s a Republic soldier.” They both stop, Nico lowers his hand to his lap. She returns her gaze to straight ahead, “Combat. Or near-combat duty. Geonosis.” 

Knol leans her head back against the train’s walls with a thump, closing her eyes. Her voice is a near whisper, distraught, “It’s been over 200 years. Why now?”

“Everything happens for a reason, Knol.” Knol scoffs, but doesn’t contradict Nico. His voice hardens, “We have to find him.” 

Knol sits forward, slamming a hand to the metal floor, “No! We stick to the plan. We find Kenobi.”

Nico twists toward her, matching her aggressive tone, “So we just leave him out in the open?”

“No, _We’re_ out in the open. We’re the ones who are exposed now.”

Nico’s already shaking his head, “Not like him, Knol.”

“Nico-”

He just sounds tired now, “Not like him. You can’t tell me you don’t remember what it was like.” 

“Whoever he is, he’s confused, and he’s scared, and he’s more alone than he has even been in her entire life. We all remember what it was like,” Fay interrupts, she catches each of their eyes in turn, “He needs us.”

Knol makes a strangled, inarticulate sound of rage and slams a hand against the floor again, her whole body shifting with the force of it. She stands up, every motion abrupt and jerky with emotion. 

When she speaks it’s with forced calm, “I’ll handle the retrieval.”  
Nico looks up hurriedly, “Hey, Knol, come on.” 

Knol shoulders her bag, “If we’re dreaming about him, he’s dreaming about us. That makes him a beacon straight to us.” 

Nico gives her a flat look, “What do we do in the meantime?”

“Get to Ryloth. Use the Charlie Safehouse. I’ll meet you there.” She pauses, then, “Find Kenobi.” She heaves the door of the box car open, balancing on the very edge. She looks out over the brush riddled landscape, sand whipping by in the wind. “Jesus.” She shakes her head, “He’s just a baby.” Then she’s gone. The train rumbling it’s way into the distance.

  
  
  
  


_Everything is bathed in a wash of red light. A train speeds past, whistling. A woman with short ginger hair brings a flask to her lips. A second woman, blond and pale, sleeping on a floor. A man’s face, lined and tired, with a full moustache and long, dark hair. Everything turns bright and white and blinding. A man. Light brown skin and dark hair. He’s murmuring something under his breath, eyes squeezed shut. And then a rush of blue, the sensation of falling._

Rex blinks awake in the harsh white of a military medic tent. He bolts upright, chest heaving. His panting slows as he looks around. The other beds are empty, the sounds of voices and the drone of a chopper filters in. He brings a hand up to his throat, fingers splayed across the bandage. His eyes slide closed and he tips his head back, fingers running back and forth across the medical tape. 

Fives is speaking with Jesse, hushed but agitated, “I _know_ I saw him die-!”

Jesse holds his hands out placatingly, “A little blood can look like a lot. Adrenaline flying, everyone was seeing shit they didn’t.” 

“I was holding his neck together _in my hands_.” 

Jesse comes to a stop, rounding on Fives, “You’d rather we sent him home in a _body bag?_ ”

Fives shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut, “No, of course not.”

Jesse claps a hand to Fives shoulder, tone going soft and pleading, “So come on.” He starts off again and Fives follows a pace behind.

They take their buckets off just before entering the medical tent. Rex is perched on the edge of a bed, forearm braced on his leg. One hand splayed on his collarbone, just under his throat. 

Jesse’s voice is gentle, “Hey, look who’s up.” Rex doesn’t respond, fingers tugging at the chain of his mythosaur pendant.

“Rex?” Fives sounds worried. Rex startles and looks up, a slightly hesitant smile crosses his face.

“What’s up, Jesse? Fives?’ Jesse smiles back and sits down on the bed opposite Rex.

He gestures to Rex’s throat, “So lets see the trophy.” Rex inhales audibly and looks away. Fives leans in closer, eyebrows drawing together. 

His tone is slow, confused, “Fuck me…”

Jesse leans in closer too, slightly awed, “Rex, there’s not even a _scratch._ ” 

Rex’s hand goes to his throat, nervously running his fingers over it. He clears his throat, “Yeah, they uh… They used this new skin graft or something.” 

Fives blinks, finally says, “Huh.” There’s an awkward silence. Fives gives Jesse a pleading glance out of the corner of his eye and Rex _hates_ it. He’s never struggled to talk to his squad before, they’d been as close as brothers since the beginning. 

Rex bends down to tie his boots so he doesn’t have to make eye contact, but that only gives him a few seconds of reprieve. He stands up and Jesse follows, a beat behind. Jesse is giving him a weird sort of helpless look, like he isn’t sure what to do around Rex anymore.

Rex gives him a quick smile, but doesn’t manage to hold it for long. He ducks his head instead and marches past Fives. For a second Rex thinks they aren’t going to follow. His chest aches at the thought, but two sets of footsteps follow him out of the tent.


	6. Pieces Fall Into Place

“Our average lifespan is 78 in developed nations. Two more years if you’re born a female. Now, all of this is because of everyone’s favorite love-to-hate: Big Pharma. At my company, our research on telomere extension has reversed the chromosomal clock of human stem cells. Dr. Talzin manipulation of the klotho hormone will, in time, completely arrest common cognitive decline. Yes, we can all wave goodbye to dementia.”

The crowd bursts into applause and Palpatine chuckles, “Now, wait. Our work will add years of life to the collective world population.” The applause swells, “Years. Decades. But it’s not cheap. We need investment. Investment drives my enthusiasm to take risks. These risks improve countless lives.” 

Obi-wan Kenobi shifts uncomfortably, his former trainee and friend Anakin Skywalker clapping enthusiastically beside him. He hadn’t been entirely sure when Anakin had approached him with a request to hire the team Obi-wan had worked with back in Queyta. When Obi-wan had pressed for an explanation, Anakin had confided that a friend had told him they weren’t what they seemed.

After Obi-wan had given him a lecture about confidentiality and state secrets, he’d brought Obi-wan to meet this… “Sheev Palpatine”, an aging eccentric billionaire and, apparently, a close personal friend of Anakin. Who’d showed Obi-wan slide after slide of evidence. These people were somehow miraculously dotted throughout history. And they were very, very dangerous. Mercenaries who fought for the highest bidder, unbound by morals or legality. Or apparently time. 

Palpatine expressed worry that Obi-wan had worked with them before, connecting them to his little ‘pet project’ after Anakin had told him about Obi-wan’s mission. Obi-wan had shot Anakin a pointed look after that, because security clearances existed for a reason. Obi-wan had agreed to hire them and lead them into a trap so they could be contained. Palpatine even sent some of his own men with them to do the job. Obi-wan was horrified when they opened fired on the three apparent immortals, but his panic faded into awe when they simply got back up again. Of course, what happened after immediately killed any feeling of admiration. 

_Here and now, Obi-wan._ He breathes deeply and refocuses, beginning to clap as well. Anakin turns and beams at him, Obi-wan gives a strained smile back. 

Palpatine is watching the security footage with barely contained delight. He strokes a finger over the screen,

“My god…” He looks up at Obi-wan, seated across from him in the car, “You’ve seen my research. Now we know they’re real.” He passes the datapad off to his assistant who takes it without comment. Then he leans forward, “What about the hard proof?” At Obi-wan’s startled look he elaborates, “Blood, tissue, bone, DNA.”

Obi-wan glances at Anakin, who’s seated beside him, but he seems perfectly at ease. _Relax, Obi-wan, Anakin trusts him, and you trust Anakin._

He meets Palpatine’s eyes once again, “Recovering an uncontaminated sample of the site proved impossible.” 

Palpatine blinks, a politely confused smile on his face. Looking back and forth between Obi-wan and Anakin like they’re playing a practical joke. “But you promised me hard proof.” There’s a slight edge to his voice and Anakin shifts, giving Obi-wan a wheedling expression. 

Obi-wan leans forward, his voice serious, brows pinching together, “There was an unanticipated amount of carnage, but the footage-”

Palpatine laughs and gives Obi-wan a smile like he’s a child whose just done something unintentionally funny, “No. The footage is a two-million-dollar snuff film. It doesn’t give us the how. I need all of them, Obi-wan.” He says this last part sadly, like it’s an undeniable fact of life. 

Anakin leans forward now too, eyes bright. His tone is eager, almost overly so, “We can definitely get you one.” 

Palpatine’s already shaking his head, “No. No, not one. All.” 

Obi-wan puts a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, already not liking where this was going, “These are extraordinarily dangerous individuals. They are extremely resistant to capture.” 

Palpatine gestures to his assistant-slash bodyguard, “Well, consult with Fox, make a plan, make it happen.” He says this like Obi-wan should’ve already thought of this and he’s disappointed he had to spell it out. “And quickly, before my competitors get word of this.”   
  
  


Rex is doing sit ups, other soldiers working out around him in the small gym set up in the sand. Every time he bobs upright he jabs two lightning quick punches through the air. His breath comes in shaky gasps, but he can’t manage to get it under control. Some of the other soldiers are staring at him, glancing over and whispering. He stutters to a stop as his name is called. 

He stumbles to his feet and stands at attention, “Aye, Sergeant!”

“Orders just came through.They’re sending you to Skako Minor for more tests.” 

Rex’s smile falters, “But I’m fine.” 

The Sergeant gives him a sympathetic look, “Planes fueling. Pack your bags.” 

“Sergeant-”

“We took these off you when it happened.” He reaches into a pocket and pulls out Rex’s dog tags, “Didn’t think you were coming back.” Then he turns and walks off, leaving Rex to stare at the cold metal in his hand.

There’s enthusiastic chatter and pop music playing when Rex enters the bunk tent. The laughter trails to a stop when they spot him, smiles falling. They’re all staring at him. His bag is sitting on his bed, packed. Rex swallows and takes a deep breath. Turning abruptly on his heel to leave. There’s the sounds of a commotion behind him but he doesn’t stop. Jesse catches his arm a few strides out of the tent, Fives following behind him. 

“You getting reassigned?” Jesse’s eyes are kind and sympathetic. Rex swallows past the lump in his throat, turning his face to the sky,

“Yeah…” His voice sounds hoarse and slightly shaky. 

Jesse bites his lip, nodding. He looks up and meets Rex’s eyes, “We’ll miss you.” 

Rex barks a laugh that's slightly hysterical. 

Fives pipes up, he isn’t meeting Rex’s eyes, but he gestures back toward the tent, sounding slightly agonized, “That wasn’t us. We didn’t- We wouldn’t do that.” 

Rex puts a hand on Fives shoulder, “I know.” There’s another minute of standing around. There’s never been so much silence between them before. Rex doesn’t know what to say. Neither do Fives or Jesse. He takes a deep breath, gesturing over his shoulder, “Well I should probably… go.” 

Jesse steps back, “Yeah, yeah.” He pauses, then hesitantly adds, “See you later.” Fives echoes him. Rex only nods in response. They all know they won’t. Rex has no idea what the fuck’s going to happen to him now that he’s some sort of crazy self-healing mutant, but it’s nothing good. At least he got to say goodbye to his squad, even if that was the most awkward interaction he’s ever had in his life.

He turns and strides off before he can do something stupid, like break down crying. He keeps his head down and plows forward, dodging around passing soldiers even as they turn and whisper “That’s him.” as he passes. 

He practically collapses onto a bench, his hands are shaking even as he presses them into fists. Why is this happening to _him_ , he’s always been a good soldier, always followed orders... Honestly maybe that’s why. He leans his head against the corrugated wall behind him and tries to breathe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late, classes are kicking my absolute ass


	7. The Retrieval

It was surprisingly easy to sneak into a military base. She’s in civvies, but Knol has always had a certain confidence that people tend not to question. She peers around a wall and spots the kid leaning back against a wall on a bench, head tipped to the sky. He jerks and turns to the side when a soldier calls his name. 

Two men in uniform walk up to him, “Fett! Been looking for you.” Fett stands up as the two stop just a pace away, “Wheels up on your ride.” 

And that’s her que. Knol strides forward, slamming an elbow into the side of one soldier's head, he crumples. The other soldier shouts in alarm, bringing his gun up. Knol slides past him, one hand goes to the inside of his elbow, the other curls around the back of his neck. She swings him around and drives his head directly into the side of a metal canister. There’s a nasty metallic thunk and he falls to the ground. Fett manages to draw his sidearm but Knol is already reaching for him, twisting at his fingers until the gun is in her hands, pointed directly at his face. 

He’s staring at her, dumbfounded, “Who  _ are _ you?” 

Knol smiles and it’s all teeth, “Knol Ven’nari.” She swings her arm to the side and pistol whips him, he goes down with only a small grunt of pain. Knol looks around, but no one appears to have noticed anything amiss. 

Knol’s behind the wheel of an armored truck, the same color at the billows of sand they leave in their wake. She’s driving one handed, the other reaching for the pastries she’d bought on the way. Thin strips of fried dough, dusted with sugar, cardamom, and ground pistachio piled on a slightly grease-stained cloth resting on the dashboard. They taste almost perfect, the closest she’s been able to find to the ones she remembers. 

Rex wakes up with a jolt, his head bouncing off the floor. He looks around, slightly dazed. He’s in a moving vehicle, it looks like one of theirs. He looks up and catches sight of shoulder length copper hair and skin just a few shades lighter than his own and thinks,  _ Oh, fuck. _

Adrenaline floods his system as he remembers everything that happened before this. He glances behind him, trying to move around into position without alerting his captor that he’s awake. He draws one leg up, hopefully she won’t notice the sound between the rattling and jolting of the bumpy road. He brings his foot down on the latch, once, twice. It falls open and instantly Rex tumbles over the side. He hits the dirt and rolls, arms tucked to his chest. 

Knol glances behind her, annoyed. The back of the truck is open, Fett left behind in the dust. She pulls to a halt and throws the door open. 

Rex groans as he comes to a stop, letting his head fall back to the dirt. He’s on his back in the dust, no idea where he is or how far from base he’s been taken.  _ Shit,  _ did they think he’d gone AWOL? Were the men he talked to even still alive? Would they think  _ he _ killed them? He turns his head and spots the insane woman getting out of the driver's seat. She gives him a look like he’s being completely unreasonable.  _ What the fuck? _ he thinks, slightly hysterically, and struggles upright.

Knol pulls off her sunglasses, tossing them onto her seat. She strides toward Fett, lips pulled into a flat line of annoyance. 

Rex gets his feet under him and twists to see Insane Woman loping toward him, he feels a chill down his spine, she’s  _ dangerous _ .  _ Yeah thanks _ , Rex thinks,  _ Hadn’t figured that out when she snuck into an army base, took out two republic soldiers, and kidnapped a third. _ He turns, limping slightly and runs. He manages two stumbling steps before a gunshot rings out. 

Knol lowers her arm, and surveys the body. Tucking her firearm into her waistband, she picks her way over to Fett. 

She shakes her head absently, rolling her head back to look at the sky, “Why does it have to be so goddamn  _ slow _ the first couple of times?” She tips her head to the side, rolling her neck, and settles in to wait.

Rex gives a whole body shudder, gasping and retching as he comes to. He squeezes his eyes closed and groans, long, low, and pained. He shifts, getting up on his elbows before he notices a pair of dusty boots at the bottom edge of his vision. He tracks up, black tank top tucked into black jeans, some sort of leather wrap on her wrists, and an expression of indifferent boredom. 

“You shot me.” Rex’s tone is incredulous, and slightly breathless. 

“I did, “ she closes her eyes, tone apologetic like she just couldn’t help  _ shooting  _ him in the  _ head.  _ “I need you to get back in the car, please.” 

Rex laughs, because Yeah, no. That’s not happening, “This isn’t real.” _ That’s the only explanation _ , “No, none of this is real.” 

Insane Woman raises an eyebrow, “You haven’t figured this out yet? You can’t die.” She steps in closer, reaching for Rex. One hand fists in his jacket front, the other grabs onto his shoulder. She heaves him upright, “Get up.” 

Rex shoves her hands away, pulling his holdout knife from it’s holster. He swings out and the blade sinks up to the hilt into her chest. She snarls in pain, her hand goes to his and rips it away. 

She steps back, knife still sticking out of her chest, and says, “Fuck!” There’s a pause then she sighs like she’s desperately trying to stay patient. Like  _ getting stabbed  _ is a  _ minor inconvenience.  _ She reaches up and wraps her fingers around the knife’s hilt. “Can you  _ please _ not do that again?” She tugs the knife out and throws it off to the side. 

Rex can’t help it, he retches, doubling over. The woman just closes her eyes like she’s praying for patience. 

“Who  _ are _ you?” Rex knows he sounds scared, but that’s fine because he  _ is _ scared. He has no idea what in the  _ hell _ is going on. 

“Knol. Knol Ven’Nari. I’m part of a group of immortals. An army, I guess. Soldiers. Fighters, like you.” She doesn’t come closer but her voice lowers, “Look… you’ve got questions, kid. I get it. You want answers? Get back in the car.” She turns and leaves. Rex looks around at the surrounding landscape, nothing around for miles and miles. He takes a minute to acknowledge how utterly ludicrous this entire situation is and takes off after her. 


	8. Some Answers, Mostly Questions

The car pulls up in a sandy, barren flat. There's a battered looking metal plane, two cars with turrets mounted on top are parked nearby, filled with heavily armed people. There's a miniscule ramshackle hut nearby. 

A man walks out and greets Knol, speaking in Bocce. Knol replies, shaking his hand. She tucks her sunglasses onto her shirt neck and leads Rex up into the plane. Rex stops in the middle, looking around. Knol tosses her jacket onto a crate and hauls her backpack off her shoulder. She unzips it and pulls out a cloth bundle. 

She leans over to Rex and deposits it in his hands, “Put those on.” 

Rex takes it, but lets his hands fall to his sides, “Where are you taking me?”

Knol’s answer is matter of fact, “Ryloth.” She tosses Rex a water bottle, says “You’ve got blood in your hair.”

Rex’s voice is so dry he’s surprised he isn’t coughing out dust, “Wonder why?” 

Knol pointedly pulls a handgun out of her bag and tucks it into her waistband. 

Rex turns around to see deeper into the plane and stops short, “This guy’s a drug runner.” He turns back to Knol, “This the shit you into?” 

Knol shrugs, “Sometimes you gotta work with people you don’t wanna eat with.” 

She pulls out a phone as Rex somewhat hysterically asks, “Is this even safe?” 

Knol steps out of the plane, she sounds amused, “Does it really matter?” Rex turns around, but she’s already gone. 

Knol strides away from the plane, phone to her ear. It rings for a few seconds.

Nico’s the one who picks up, “Hey, Knol.”

Knol doesn’t miss a beat, “You found Kenobi?”

“Nothing but dead ends. He knows we’re hunting him.”

Knol swears, closing her eyes, “Keep looking. He’s doing the same to us.” Knol takes a deep breath, “I found the new one.”

“And?”

“Well, he stabbed me, so I think he has potential.” 

Nico chuckles quietly, “See you soon.” 

Knol smiles and hangs up. She drops the phone to the ground and steps on it, grinding it into the dirt with her heel. 

Rex takes the chance to change once Knol leaves. There’s grey jeans, a loose blue shirt, and a jean jacket. He folds his military uniform with careful precision once he’s dressed, decidedly not thinking about how the clothes Knol brought fit perfectly. He sighs and glances around the plane again, doing a double take when he spots a leather holster slung over the pilot's seat. He eyes it for a moment, then starts to slide out of his seat.

He’s halfway off the bench when Knol and the pilot board, striding up the rickety metal ladder. There's a rumbling noise as it’s rolled away and Knol shuts the door, engaging the seals. The pilot drops into his seat and pulls the headphones over his head. The engine starts with a sputtering rumble. 

Knol’s hip bumps against a cardboard box as the plane starts. There's the sound of tinkling glass. She frowns at it, then plunges a hand through the straps holding the box closed. It’s vodka, and the good kind too. She makes an appreciative noise. 

Rex bends over and carefully stows his folded uniform under the bench against the wall. Then straps himself in. As he looks up, his gaze catches on the holster again. He glances over at Knol, quick and furtitive. She’s standing with her feet braced apart, drinking straight from a bottle of vodka she’s pulled from somewhere. The plane gives a particularly nasty jolt and she reaches up, tangling her fingers in the cargo netting. She doesn’t lose her feet, still working at the vodka. Rex raises his eyebrows, reluctantly impressed. 

The plane lifts off and Knol plops down beside Rex. 

Rex looks at his hands, “So why is this happening to me?”

Knol snorts, “I wish I knew.” 

Rex leans toward her, the beginnings of anger stirring in his chest, “You  _ said _ you had answers.” 

Knol’s face is wry, “I didn’t say you’d  _ like _ them.” Rex exhales and presses his clasped hands to his forehead. He has to separate them fairly quickly to brace himself against the bench when the plane jostles, sending everything swinging. Knol waits it out, then stands up and walks to the back of the plane. 

Rex watches her go, “You said there were others. How many?”

Knol pauses, “Three.” 

Rex snorts before he can stop himself,“You’re an army of  _ three?  _ Is that why you took me? So I could join your army?”

Knol shrugs, tucking her jacket over her arm, “Yeah.” She drops down into her seat again, tucking her handgun away underneath.

“ _ No _ . This is some bullshit.” Rex feels the embers of anger kindle to life. ‘You must… must have hypnotized me. Or, or uh, drugged me or something.” His voice gains more confidence as he goes on, “And that was a blank that you shot me with.”

“And I was the one who cut your throat. Right?” Knol sounds bored. Rex goes silent. Knol pulls her jacket over her shoulders, “If I were you, I’d get some sleep.” She leans back against the bags piled behind her. Rex braces his forearms on his knees as Knol’s breath evens out. 

Knol shifts in her sleep, goes to turn over but comes to a jerking halt. She jolts awake, her wrist has one of the belt straps wrapped around it. Looking up, she sees Rex with a gun pointed at the pilot. 

Rex turns over his shoulder and says, “We’re not going to Ryloth.” His voice is hard and determined. 

Knol gives him an  _ alright fine _ face and calls, “Andrei, come here.” She holds out her wrist, the pilot looks over and starts to get up. 

Rex barks, “Sit your ass down!” 

Knol jerks at the restraint again, “Come here!” 

Rex makes unwavering eye contact with the pilot, his voice quiet but firm as he says, “You do  _ not _ listen to her, you listen to me. Land this plane.” The pilot stares at him for a few seconds then goes back to the controls. 

Knol scoffs and faces forward again, “Trust me. He’s not gonna shoot you.” The pilot glances at her over his shoulder and Knol’s drops the irritated tone, face going hard, “I am.” She spits something in Bocce, whipping her gun out and shooting in the same motion. The pilot slumps against the controls. Rex lets his hands fall, looking back and forth between Knol and Andrei, eyes wide. 

His voice goes panicked, “Who’s gonna fly the plane?” 

Knol sounds bored again, “We don’t need a pilot.” She burrows deeper under her jacket and closes her eyes, “We can jump and survive.” 

Rex stumbles towards her, hanging on to the cargo straps slung along the side of the plane, “I am not jumping from a plane!” The plane tilts, everything shaking. 

Knol makes a face as she slides forward, almost falling off her seat, “Woah, shit! Maybe we do need a pilot.” She holds her wrist out, still trapped with the seatbelt. Her expression is earnest and Rex doesn’t trust that one bit, “I can fly a plane.” 

Rex hesitates just a second more, then lets go of the strapping, staggering over to Knol. He pulls the key from his jean pocket and jams it into the lock. Knol watches this and then says, conversationally, “You don’t speak Bocce do you?” 

Rex blinks at the non-sequitur but doesn’t stop working at the lock, “Why?” The belt unlocks with a clank and Rex lets it fall. Knol stands up, pushing the jacket off herself. 

She smirks at Rex, “Because I told the pilot to play dead.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next week :)


	9. The Meeting

Rex spins around as she says this to see the pilot flipping a switch on the dash. His face twists and he swings at Knol before he even finishes turning back to face her. Knol blocks it easily, slamming him to the floor with an ease that's utterly at odds with her shorter stature.

Rex launches himself at her from the floor, wrapping his arms around her midsection. She gets her hands under his arms and shoves him off, sending him crashing into a crate. He glares at her, all the confusion, fear, and frustration of the past 24 hours bubbling up. 

Knol shakes her head, sounding resigned, “You really want to do this, kid?” Rex doesn’t reply, striking out at Knol’s face. She blocks both of his punches, bringing her elbow down into Rex’s kidney. He grunts in pain, stumbling forward. To his credit, he straightens back up almost immediately.

Knol gives him a taunting little nod and he brings an arm around, throwing all his weight behind it. Knol blocks it again, hair swinging. She twists, Rex’s rebounding punch glancing off her side instead of hitting her directly in the stomach. She catches his forearm and brings her free arm down onto his back, pushing him halfway to his knees.

He seethes, breathing heavily, before he surges upright, managing to catch Knol around the waist again. His shoulder digging into her abdomen, he slams her into the metal wall. Her hands grab at his arms again, trying to force him off, but he resists, slamming her back into the wall. 

She swings an elbow into the side of his head. His grip falters and she flips their positions, pushing Rex face first into the wall. His arms are twisted up behind him and Knol uses them as leverage to haul him up and shove him at another pile of crates. 

He catches himself and spins around, already reaching for Knol’s throat. She slaps his arm out of the way before it can connect. Pulling him in close only to slam a knee up into his gut. He stumbles backward into the crate of drugs. Several packets slip out from the straps holding them down, thumping to the floor. The pilot gives them an annoyed glance over his shoulder. 

Rex takes another wild swing at Knol but she simply leans backwards, sliding under. The pilot makes an exasperated noise and pulls at the control, the plane drifts sideways. Knol and Rex both slide across the floor. Rex manages to belt Knol across the face and she grunts. Her whole body shifts with the force, forced to take a step back to steady herself. She gives Rex an approving smile. 

Rex feigns toward her abdomen, and hooks his leg around hers when she goes to block his punch. She twists out of his hold and he spins, getting his balance back. He manages to land another hit to her jaw, but she tangles her arm around his when he goes for another hit. His elbow folds with the pressure, bringing him closer to her. She gets a grip on his chin, fingers digging into the hollows of his cheeks. His hand reflexively wraps around her wrist, trying to shove her off. 

He brings an elbow down and breaks her hold, they both stagger back. Rex blocks Knol’s next punch, but the one to his thigh connects solidly. His cry is half frustration rather than pain. His next two punches go wide and Knol gets a grip on the back of his jacket, swinging him into the wall. 

Knol braces a hand against the side of his head. Rex gets a grip on the wall and pushes, straining against Knol’s hold. Knol relaxes her grip and gets a foot up on one of the crates, pushing off. She swings around over Rex’s shoulders as he stumbles sideways. Grabbing hold of either shoulder, she hooks her leg around his and goes deadweight, sending him crashing to the floor. Knol rolls to her feet as Rex pushes himself off the floor, panting. 

She steps forward, her voice brooks no argument, “We’re done.” 

Rex gets to his feet silently, he stares at her for a second, chest heaving. He throws another punch and Knol catches it, braces an arm either side of his and twists. Rex cries out, pained and guttural. Knol shoves him forward and he hits the crates at the back of the plane. “I said we’re done.” 

Rex crouches, looking up at her like a cornered animal. His eyes wide and his breath coming in quick pants. He shifts his weight back and kicks out at her knee. Knol dodges back and stomps on his knee, sharp and savage. There’s a crack and Rex collapses back to the floor with a yell. He cradles his arm to his chest, legs pulled up halfway. He presses his face into the floor, stifles a groan and rolls onto his back. Knol glances away, over to the front of the plane, then back to Rex. 

Matter of factly, she says, “You’re very good.” Rex whines, pressing his head back to the floor, still clutching his elbow. “What’s your name?” 

Rex pants, golden eyes flicking to Knol’s, “Rex.”

Knol nods, then gestures to his elbow, “You see? You’re already healing faster.” 

Rex sucks in a breath through his teeth as the bone realigns, his skin knitting back together. He sits up slowly, eyes fixed on his newly healed elbow. There’s still dried rivulets of blood snaking down his arm, but it’s no longer broken, somehow whole again. He flinches as his leg straightens out, the bone cracking back into alignment. 

His voice is quiet, slightly awed, like he can hardly dare to believe it, “Is this real?” He looks up at Knol who’s watching him with an unreadable expression on her face. “I got people that love me.” _Cody_ , “People that are gonna worry.” _Jesse, Fives._ Knol looks down, Rex takes a shaking breath, “I’m a Republic soldier. They think I went AWOL.”

Knol’s voice is quiet, “You’re not a Republic soldier anymore. They were going to lock you up.” Rex leans forward, forearms braced on his knees. His eyes are wet. Knol steps back, gets to her feet. She holds a hand out and Rex looks up at her, and there’s something so young about his expression that Knol’s chest _aches_. He reaches out, clasps her hand with his and Knol pulls him to his feet. She gives him a tight nod and turns, heading back to the bench.

  
  


Rex follows Knol through a thicket of trees into an overgrown graveyard. Despite the rapidly falling dusk he can spot the stone church in the center of the clearing.

Knol looks at him over her shoulder, “This place has been abandoned for 50 years.”

Rex’s eyebrows pinch together, “Why?” A plane flies just overhead, the rumble feels like it’s rattling Rex’s bones. _Well I guess that answers that._

It’s dimly lit inside the church, with only a few electric lights. There's two other people sitting at a table set for four. Knol drops the backpack off her shoulder and leaves it where it falls. Rex loiters awkwardly in the doorway. 

Knol jerks her chin over to the table, already headed that way, “Come on.” After a moment, Rex follows. He drops into the last available chair and looks at the other two apparent immortals. The blond woman smiles at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling. The other man just gazes steadily back. They match the people in his dreams. 

Knol gestures to Rex, says, “This is Rex. Rex, those two are Fay and Nico.” 

Nico nodes, says, “Hello.”

Fay’s still smiling, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She gestures to the plate in front of him, “Please, eat. I’m sure you must be hungry.” 

Rex glances over at Knol, she’s practically inhaling the food, already halfway through her plate. He slowly picks up a fork, he takes a tentative bite and blinks. It’s tiingalar, _good_ tiingilar. It tastes like something he only could have found on a street corner in Keldable. A heavy, awkward silence falls. Broken only with the clinking of silverware and the occasional low flying plane. 

Rex watches them for a second, “So, you good guys or bad guys.” 

Knol snorts, “Depends on the century.” 

The one that had been introduced as Nico shoots Knol a warning look, turns to Rex, says, “We fight for what we think is right.” 

Rex absorbs that for a second, “How are you all in my dreams?” 

It’s Fay who answers, “We dream of each other. They stop when we meet.” 

“Why?”

Her voice is full of conviction, “I believe it’s because we’re meant to find each other. It’s destiny.” 

Nico laughs, “No, more like misery loves company.” Knol snorts into her cup. Even Fay lets out a quiet huff of amusement, though she sends Nico a playfully reproachful look. 

She turns back to Rex, “It used to take years to track a new one.”

“Who was the first?” Nico and Knol both turn and look at Fay. Rex blinks at her, surprised. She looks young, though there’s something about her eyes, “How old _are_ you, then?”

She laughs and gives him a coy look, “Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a lady her age?” Rex flushes, but before he can backpedal her gaze goes thoughtful and she says, “It gets… hard to keep track after a while. Individual years are easy to lose count of, especially before I had the others.” Her eyes turn bright and her face teasing, “Did you know, there was a time I was worshipped as a god?” Rex must make an alarming face because she breaks into laughter, giving him an rueful expression, “Don’t worry, I can’t do anything more extraordinary than you can.” She wiggles her fingers, “Long life does not come with magic powers.” 

Nico speaks up, “I was the next, a couple hundred years after Fay. Knol’s first death was only a year after mine.”

“A hundred years?” Rex’s voice is wondering, “So we really never die.” 

“It’s a lot to take in.” Nico is giving him an understanding look. “You should get some rest. Come with me, I’ll show you.” He stands up, and Rex pushes himself up a beat later, leaving Fay with Knol at the table. 

Nico comes back a moment later and sinks back into his chair opposite Fay and Knol with a groan.

Knol gives him an amused look, “Getting old?”  
Nico gives her a mock offended look, he only manages to hold it for a beat before he huffs and affectionately says, “Fuck you.” 

Knol tips her head back and laughs. Fay rolls her eyes at them both. 

She hates to ruin the lighthearted mood but, “He wants to talk to his family.” Her voice is heavy with the age and ache of centuries. Nico and Knol both stop. Nico looks like he’s feeling every long year of his age. 

His voice is sad and slightly rough with emotion, “That’s not going to help him.” Knol eyes Nico for a moment, then brings her socked feet up and drops them in his lap. He starts, but his fists unclench and his shoulders straighten. Knol counts that as a win. He rolls his eyes, and idly starts massaging her feet. Knol melts into her chair. She _definitely_ counts this as a win.


	10. Snatched

Everything is quiet in the church, though every few hours the whole building rattles with increased frequency as a plane rumbles overhead. Rex twitches, inhales. His fingers spasm on the bed sheets, then clench into a fist. Rex shoots upright, a huge stuttering gasp rocking his chest. Fay blinks awake. Nico startles and almost falls off the narrow couch he’d claimed for the night. 

Knol is half upright with her gun drawn, looking around wildly, “What? What’s going on?” Rex pants, staring unseeing straight ahead. Knol lowers her gun as her eyes lock onto him. Her voice, still raspy with sleep, softens, “What happened?” 

Rex unclenches his fingers from the sheets, though it looks like it takes effort. His knuckles are still white when he brings his fists to rest on his thighs, “It’s just a… a bad dream. I’m sorry. ” 

Knol’s voice is brusque but kind, “Don’t apologize.” Her eyes meet his, “Tell us.”

Rex swallows once, twice, “I saw flashes of it before. When I first dreamt of all of you. But now it’s clearer. I dreamed about a man, strapped down in some sort of lab. All bright, white light. He kept… dying and coming back to life. He was fighting, even though it hurt him, he was fighting to get free. He felt... all tangled up and hurt, but determined. He kept fighting, but he kept-” Rex breaks off, voice wavering, “He kept  _ dying. _ ” 

Knol sucks in a shuddering breath and turns her face away with a pained sound, hiding her blurring eyes. Nico’s gone pale as a ghost, mouth slightly open. He looked horrified. Fay had a hand over her mouth, eyes impossibly wide. 

Knol’s voice sounds like she can barely get the words out, “His name is Jon. He’s one of us. The youngest, before you. We ran through the world together, fought thousands of battles side by side. Just the four of us. He was a pit viper in a fight.” 

Knol brings her knees up to her chest, laughs, weak and wet sounding, “We were in Coruscant, on a job. He was supposed to gather intel, then meet back up with us, but he never did. So we finished the job. We searched for him, afterward. We… we waited but there’s only so long we can safely stay in one place. So we just… left. He was always getting caught up in trouble, Jon could never resist a righteous cause. We thought maybe he’d just gone off on his own because he found someone in need of saving. We…  _ I _ should’ve known he’d never just leave us high and dry like that.” Her face twists and she slams a fist into the mattress, “Fuck! We abandoned him, he needed us and we abandoned him!” 

Fay closes her eyes, her voice sounds heavy and so very, very old, “Knol. Don’t blame yourself.” 

Rex closes his eyes, bows his head. He knows how it feels to lose a soldier, “I can feel his pain. His rage.” He looks up, takes a shuddering breath, “I can also feel his faith. He doesn’t think you abandoned him at all. He doesn’t blame you, He  _ loves _ you.” 

Knol is looking at him like he’s a revelation, “You’re… you’re dreaming about him. You never met him, so you’re still getting the dreams. You can feel him. You can  _ see  _ him.” She looks around at the others, laughs, elated, “We can track him down, find him!” Nico is looking at Rex now too, something like hope in his eyes. 

  
Fay shifts, says, “Knol-”

  
“Fay, we have a _chance_ now. We didn’t even know what happened to him before!” Knol burts out. She lets out a hysterical laugh, “We need to bring him home.” 

Rex feels an ache in his chest. These three are the closest people he’s ever met. To know that there was a fourth? Captured, tortured, experimented on,  _ lost _ ? It was unthinkable. And it was all riding on him to find them. Days ago one of them  _ shot _ him and now they were trusting him to find their missing family? It was too much. Rex stands up abruptly, mumbling something vaguely apologetic as he stumbles away. He shrugs his jacket on, moving quickly. 

Fay sighs and puts a hand on Knol's shoulder, pushing her back down after she’d started to go after their newest member. 

She gives her a stern look, “I’ll handle this.” Knol nods reluctantly, settling back down. Fay strides out after Rex. He’s standing a few steps off the worn dirt path through the weeds, “Rex.”

He turns to face her, looking anguished, “I don’t  _ want _ this. I don’t want any of it.”

  
Fay closes her eyes, he’s so _young,_ “I know. I know.”

“There isn’t one good thing in any of this!” Rex knows he’s being unfair, but everything is just so much right now. He couldn’t identify _half_ of what he was feeling. He liked to think of himself as rational but this was so far outside of anything he’d ever experienced before. Rex thought he was entitled to a little hysterics. 

“I know this is hard. It’s happening whether you want it or not. I know you’re scared, Rex. Me, and those two in there will keep you safe. ” 

Rex knows he shouldn’t say it. He _knows._ But his voice is quiet, a dangerous edge to it as he says, “Like Jon?” 

Fay inhales. Her eyes are glassy tinged. After a moment she says, “We’re all you’ve got.” 

The retort of a gunshot cuts off anything Rex would’ve said. He and Fay both crouch low. Rex curses the fact that he didn’t have a gun of his own, didn’t think to take one with him when he went outside. 

He looks to Fay, voice low, “What’s happening?”

Her voice is a whisper, “They found us.” 

Knol turns the holoscreen on, flipping through the channels idly. She lands on a nuna-ball game and settles back into the couch. Nico falls down beside her, hands her a beer. She clinks hers against his and knocks it back. 

There’s the sound of splintering wood. A deafening bang as a grenade goes off. Knol loses sight of Nico in the smoke. She dives off the couch, comes up. Her airways are already full of the smoke and her eyes stream, she coughs. She takes a bullet to the head, and another through the side. 

Nico hits the floor, rolls. Another grenade lands nearby, explodes. He stumbles sideways, feels something hit him and falls. There’s another explosion and his vision goes black in a wash of  _ pain pain pain _ . 

Rex rounds the corner with Fay’s holdout gun up, glancing beyond it through the open door. There’s a tipped over side table in view, wooden shrapnel strewn across the carpet. He picks his way inside, sweeping the room and behind the door. 

Fay comes to a stop next to him, “Knol? Nico?” 

There’s no answer. 

Rex mutters, “Shit.” 

Fay gestures across the room, “Clear the backroom. We have to find Knol and Nico. 

They sweep it, and Rex turns to Fay, “There's no one here.” 

Fay closes her eyes, says, “Kenobi.” 

“Kenobi?”  _ Who the fuck is that _ ? 

“They’re coming back. They want all of us.”  _ Not much of an explanation _ , Rex thinks bitterly. Fay draws herself up, points at Rex, “You stay here.” Her voice is so commanding he almost salutes out of habit. “Wait for my signal.” 

She spins around, already heading towards the door. She grabs a wooden staff out of an umbrella stand and disappears through the door. 

Rex takes an abortive step forward, splutters, “What signal?” But she’s already gone. He throws his hands up, “What does that even  _ mean _ ?” 

  
  


Obi-wan Kenobi's hand is once again over his mouth. He watches the security monitor, split between four vantage points. 

His radio crackles to life and a voice reports, “Two in transport.” 

Anakin speaks up, he sounds frustrated, “No, no we need them all.”

  
“These two were the only ones there.” 

“There has to be another!” Anakin slams a hand to the table. A technician jumps, Obi-wan doesn’t react. Neither does Palpatine’s head of security, Fox, except to give Anakin a flat, unimpressed glance. 

Obi-wan reaches forward, switches the feed to a body cam as a different voice over the radio says, “Bravo Team approaching church.” 

They’re moving quickly down a cobble path. They form up at the entrance, the team leader gives the all clear and the men dart through the door. They move through the darkened room between pews covered in white sheets. As they file down the narrow aisle between the pews, a plane flying overhead rattles the stained glass windows. 

There’s a statue of a saint, high up on a pillar. The shadow falls on Fay’s face, obscuring her from view. She edges around the side, eyes focused unwaveringly on the soldiers below. She lightly hops off and lands in the center of their circle. 

They start to turn and Fay grips her staff and  _ swings _ . Her arm arcs out, her whole body shifting as she snaps the staff in a circle. Several soldiers go down, the staff colliding with their heads or sweeping their legs out from under them. 

She slams the end of the staff into one soldier's throat, snapping his head back. She brings the staff around and up between another soldier’s legs, then sweeps sideways, taking him off his feet even as he doubles over. 

A soldier slams a knife into her back, right under the nape of her neck. Fay cries out and brings her elbow back. He falls back and she ducks under a soldier’s swing, grabbing a hold of him. She pins him doubled over and  _ shoves _ . His helmeted head rebounds as he collides with the floor. 

She swings her staff out, glancing off the side of a soldier’s head. Plants her foot squarely on the chest of another, sends him flying back. She cracks the staff down on a soldier’s wrist and he drops his gun as the bone shatters. 

She gets a hold of another’s neck and drops, his head slams into the floor and she rolls. Coming up inside yet another soldier’s guard she sends him flying into a pillar. He hits the ground and goes still. 

The soldiers at the end of the room stare at her in horror, their commander shakes himself out of it, “Come on! Move! Move!” 

Fay braces, and _smiles_.

  
  
  


The monitor cycles through images of the church, unconscious soldiers and shattered glass strewn across the floor. Fox slowly takes off his headphones, eyes riveted to the screen. Anakin hovers in the space just over Obi-wan’s shoulder, mouth ajar. 

Obi-wan inhales shakily, “Gentlemen, I strongly recommend that we leave _right now_.” Fox nods, shoves back from the table, already moving. Obi-wan and Anakin only a beat behind him. 

  
  



	11. Scattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat graphic description of an injury? Skip the beginning of Knol's part until “I know what you said!” Knol snaps

A soldier picks his way around the outside of the building, towards the door. The door flies open and Fay’s wooden staff whips through the air. The spinning staff jars the gun from the soldier’s hands. Fay’s fist collides with his face before he can do more than curse in surprised pain. 

She seizes the staff from the ground and crouch-runs past. She flattens herself against the corner, waiting. She strikes out at the approaching soldier as he nears her hiding spot. She steps out and firmly plants her hand on his chest, his own momentum sending his feet out from under him. A harsh hit from her staff sends him unconscious.

Fay crouches down, searching his belt. When she stands up, there’s a grenade in either hand. Her face is all satisfaction as she strides away.

Rex paces back and forth, muttering, “I gotta get out there! I need to help her… she said wait for the signal. What’s the signal?” He glances up at the muffled  _ whump-whump _ of gunfire, the muzzle flash lighting up the stained glass. Groans in frustration. He grabs a bag and starts throwing whatever he can get his hands on inside. His voice is all jittery anger, “‘Wait for the signal.’ How the  _ hell _ can you even tell?” 

One of the walls blows inward and Rex ducks on instinct. Fay strides through. She looks like an avenging goddess, striding through the smoke and destruction. Gait unfaltering and face serene and utterly beautiful despite the dirt and soot.

She spots Rex and calls, “Let’s go.” Her voice is commanding, leaving no room for argument. 

Rex dumbly manages, “Oh.”  _ So that’s the signal.  _ His instincts take over and he runs after Fay, shouldering the bag. He brings his gun up as they enter the wrecked church. His shock overrides even years of military training as his hand wavers and lowers. There are countless bodies laying at odd angles across the room. Shattered wood and glass pieces scattered over them. He looks up at Fay, face dawning with horrified awe, “You did all this yourself?” 

“Yeah. They’re not dead.” She gives Rex a small smile over her shoulder, “I don’t kill.” That’s almost  _ more _ terrifying. The amount of skill needed to completely incapacitate someone without killing them... you had to be  _ better _ than the best.

Rex shakes of his shock and brings his gun back up. “Who are they? How’d they find you?” 

“I don’t know.” She reaches the door, glances out and gestures for Rex to follow, already stepping through, “Let’s go.” Rex shakes his head and jogs to catch up. 

Fay leads him to a parking lot, one of the cars already up in flames. She slides into the driver’s side of another and Rex climbs into the passenger’s. The tires screech as Fay makes a tight turn and takes off down a narrow alley. 

When Knol comes to, everything is awash in bright light. Her breath feels like it echoes through her skull. She turns her head. There’s a blurry figure, dark hair and golden brown skin. 

“ _ Nico. _ ” She breathes. All her attention focuses on him. She has to know if he’s alright. “You still with me?” Her voice cracks over the words, throat rough with smoke. A boot smacks into the back of her head, cracking her chin against the floor. She tastes blood. 

“Quiet,” One of the armored men surrounding them on benches against the wall barks. 

The blurred awareness of unconsciousness slides away like water. The hard, vibrating floor of an armored van replacing it. Knol groans and lifts her head. She’s lying on her belly, arms trapped under her. She pulls at her wrists, wincing as the plastic zip cuffs dig in. 

She struggles over to Nico, still facedown on the floor. He’s curled forward, back to her. She gets a look at his abdomen and inhales through her teeth. His shirt front is entirely soaked in blood. Knol gets a glimpse of pink entrails and a flash of white that must be bone. She leans closer, hisses, “Hey,  _ hey _ .” 

An arm hooks around her front, dragging her back, “I said-”

“I know what you said!” Knol snaps, she turns and looks up at the soldier, smirks, eyes flinty, “What are you gonna do? Kill me?” The soldier’s face twists but he doesn’t say anything. Knol turns back to Nico, leaning down over him, “Nico. Come on. Come back to me.” Knol’s voice goes desperate, vulnerable, “You’re still in this shitty game with me. You hear me? Now wake up.” Still nothing. She balances all her weight on one leg and knees him hard in the back, “ _ Wake up _ .” Nico jolts forward and groans through his teeth. He curls further into a ball. His breathing is labored and interspersed with muffled groans. Knol falls back, closes her eyes, manages, “Welcome back, asshole.” She sounds too relieved to mean the insult. “Thanks for taking your time.”

Nico sounds like he’s trying very hard not to scream, “It-” he breaks off with a grunt, tucks his chin to his chest, “It hurts everywhere.” There’s the distinctive sound of flesh knitting back together. He looks at Knol out of the corner of his eye, “How bad is it?”

Knol gives him a wan smile and blithely says, “It’s an improvement.” 

Nico lets out a choked laugh that morphs into a coughing fit. When it subsides he looks at Knol, “Where are we?”

Knol’s voice is low, “In an armored van. They used gas.” 

One of the soldiers leans forward, fed up, “I told you, shut up!” 

Knol gives him a scathingly condescending look, “I need to know he’s ok.” 

“That’s sweet. What is he? Your boyfriend?”The soldier’s voice is mocking, he smirks and shifts back like he said something clever. The other soldiers laugh. 

Knol laughs too, short, barking, and bitter, “You’re a child. An infant. You think your words mean anything to me? He’s not my boyfriend. This man is more to me than you can dream. He’s the light that guides me home, the hands that hold me together when I fall apart. He’s my brother, my friend, my family, my heart and soul. He’s all and he’s more. You can never understand what that man means to me.” 

The soldiers don’t say anything. Stunned in response to Knol’s impromptu poetry session. 

Nico badly hides his smile behind a dry look, “Knol?”

Knol grins, and rolls her head over her shoulder to look at him,“Yeah?”

“Shut up.” 

Knol throws her head back and howls with laughter. She doesn’t stop even as the soldiers recover themselves, reaching forward and yanking her and Nico away from each other.

The air field is lit with only a few bright lights to pierce the darkness. Obi-wan shifts as the headlights of the armored van briefly shine onto their little group. It turns and comes to a stop, the doors at the back facing them. One armed guard steps forward to heave open the doors. 

A body tumbles out and hits the pavement. Startled, everyone draws and aims their guns. Knol is perched on the bench previously occupied by their guards, Nico on the floor next to her, head resting against her knee. Knol grins, the blood splattered across her face making her look like some wild thing. 

Holding her crossed wrists out she says, “I don’t suppose it would be possible to get these chains off of us?”

Anakin’s face twists in fury, looking up from the dead bodies, “Get them out. Get them out! Get them on the plane now!” 

Nico looks at Knol, face amused, “I guess not.” 

Obi-wan breathes out slowly. To be so… so nonchalant about killing someone, even an enemy. Perhaps Palpatine was right, these people really were extremely dangerous. 

The two are dragged out of the van, still bantering. He sees past them to the blood splattered interior. It looked like the soldiers never stood a chance, and _he_ is partially responsible for putting them in that kill box. 

Nico and Knol are herded past him. Nico gives him a cold, imperious look, “We are usually a better judge of character. I suppose you are taking us to the person who paid for your betrayal.”

Knol is pulled to a halt while Nico is pushed up the boarding stairs, she gives him a grudgingly conceding smile, “It’s a nice plane.” Then she too is pushed forward. 

Nico calls, “There’s a TV, Knol!” as she enters the plane. 

Knol calls back, “Champagne?” 

Obi-wan can’t help but feel a little incredulous at their casualness. He sets his jaw and climbs the stairs himself. 

  
  



	12. Stirrings of Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's late

The car drives down a winding, dusty road between two banks of roadside weeds. Rex watches the scenery go by out the window. Fay is silent, and so is he. Only the rumbling of the car breaks the monotony. They pull to a stop in front of a gate made of corrugated iron. There’s a warning sign plastered on it, as well as graffiti scrawled across it. Rex’s Ryl is rusty but he can guess it says something like ‘Trespassers Will Be Shot’. 

Fay gets out and undoes a padlock, the door groans and squeaks as she shoves it open. She gets back in and drives them forward, taking them up another winding road that overlooks the sea. The area surrounded by cliffs and sand. Fay pulls the car up just in front of a thick bank of greenery. 

Fay opens her door, then gestures at Rex to get out as well. She walks over to the thick wall of trees and vines, making her way through effortlessly. 

It kinda pisses Rex off because it seems like the plants are all but making way for her, but each branch feels the need to smack him in the face. He swears quietly and bats a tree branch out of the way. 

Fay throws open a pair of squeaky metal doors embedded in a squat concrete building, bathing the dark interior in light. The small entrance is made of stone, a set of stairs the only thing in it. 

Rex squints as they descend, his eyes not yet adjusted to the sudden gloom. Fay flinks on a switch and a steady electric hum starts up. Dim electric lights blink on one by one, illuminating what looks like a cave system. There’s what looks like random piles of junk on the floor.

Rex finally speaks, voice gone quiet and questioning, “What is this place?” He turns on the spot, taking it all in. 

“An abandoned mine.” Fay kneels down to light a kerosine lamp. “We stumbled across it during the Bothan Wars. We used to keep our stuff here.” She holds the lantern out to Rex, eyes crinkling. Rex reaches out slowly, wrapping his fingers around the handle.

He looks down at her, “Thanks.” She nods and he moves off into the dark, looking through the piles. There’s a helmet that looks like ancient Mandalorian make, a painting of Fay in a style of dress that hasn’t been worn in centuries, a crossbow with handmade arrows tipped in a sticky looking substance. He reaches out and gently pulls a canvas cloth off a statue discarded off to one side. 

His eyes blow wide, he looks over to Fay, “Is this a Rodin?” 

Fay glances over, scrutinizes it for a minute, and turns back to what she was doing with a quiet smile, “Yes.”

“This is an honest-to-god Rodin.” He sounds impressed and slightly awed. He bends to look closer, stops, “Wait. Did you know him?” He sounds like he’d be shaking Fay by the shoulders if she was any closer. Fay smiles wider and nods, Rex turns back to the statue, wonderstruck. 

A few minutes later Fay finds him examining a sword he’s unearthed from a crate, “We need to get to work finding Kenobi. He’s got Knol and Nico.” 

Rex looks up at her, face serious. He nods and stands up, clumsily resheathes the sword after a few tries and places it reverently down. Fay closes her eyes.  _ He’s so young. _

“It can hardly be unique if they can make another copy.” Palpatine’s voice shows none of the annoyance he currently feels. It’s almost sickeningly pleasant. He spots the group as they round the corner of his office and smiles. He turns back to his call, says, “I must go.” and hangs up before they can reply. His smile shifts from cruelly delighted to welcoming as he meets the group halfway. 

He claps his hands together, “Ah! Gentlemen. And lady, welcome. I am truly honored to meet you.” There’s the clinking of metal as Knol and Nico are propelled forward, thin but durable chains threaded between their hands and ankles. 

Palpatine spreads his hands out, “Together we shall do such things. What they are yet, I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the Earth.” He pauses, “Or rather, the saviors.” The two immortals meet his gaze with no reaction, one of them looks like she’s imaging disemboweling him with a rusty spoon. He sighs disappointedly, “Do you not know Nubian theater? It is a rather famous line.” They don’t answer. He gestures to their wrists, looks to the surrounding guards, “Can we take the cuffs off?” 

Fox replies in a monotone from where he’s standing off to the side, “No Sir, we can’t.” He already knows this of course, but image is important. 

Palpatine sighs in faux-disappointment again, giving the two a sympathetic look, “My apologies. Let’s get off on the right foot, shall we? I’m Sheev Palpatine, the biggest name in Pharma.” He gestures around them, “Our work here is all about balance. How do we push the scientific frontiers whilst also turning a little profit?” 

The male is giving him an impressively cold look. Palpatine smiles at him, allowing a little of his ruthless ambition show through. He clears all traces of it from his face when he turns to gesture at the agent his little pet project was so fond of. “Mr. Kenobi provided me with footage of your unique talent.” He gives them a bland smile, “But I prefer my evidence to be… indisputable.” He moves before they have a chance to react, stabbing the blade he’d palmed earlier for just this purpose into the male’s shoulder. The female jolts forward, shouts, “No!” But she’s restrained by the guards with ease. He pulls the blade out and drives it in again and again as the male doubles over. 

The agent steps forward looking alarmed, “Mr. Palpatine!” Palpatine lowers his arm, but doesn’t turn his eyes from the male, who groans, hissing through his teeth. Dr. Talzin steps forward, craning her neck to watch as the wounds heal over. 

Palpatine turns to her, “What do you see?”

She gives him a slightly manic look of delight, “The Nobel Prize.” 

“And a fair few credits to boot.” He smiles approvingly.

Obi-wan feels slightly sick. He watches Nico’s skin knit back together as the man breathes harshly through his nose. He’d stepped forward, horrified when Palpatine had repeatedly driven that knife into Nico’s neck and shoulders. Anakin hadn’t reacted, he’d looked slightly unsettled, but not surprised. That worried Obi-wan. The Anakin he’d known for years wouldn’t have stood by and watched anyone be needlessly tortured. 

He turns his attention back to Nico. He wants to help, his hands frozen in space, but he knows he wouldn’t be welcome. 

Palpatine straightens up, surprisingly agile for someone of his age. The guards shove Knol and Nico to their knees. Knol cranes her neck out and Nico leans his head over, bumping his forehead to hers. She lets out a tiny breath of relief and relaxes a fraction. 

Palpatine says, “We brought a cancer drug to the market last quarter. It’s already saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet, in development, it killed a quarter of a million lab mice.” His tone slips into saccharine condensation, “Now, I didn’t ask for their little permissions. I’m not going to ask for yours.” 

Knol smirks, “He thinks you’re a mouse, Nico.” Nico snorts.

Palpatine’s expression sours, “There’s genetic code inside you which could help every human being on Earth. We’re morally obliged to take it.” He gestures and Dr. Talzin brings out two silver hypo-syringes, capped in black.

Knol eyes her as she gets closer, “What is that? Wait!”

Nico wrenches forward towards Knol desperately, “Hey!” 

The guards slam a taser into Knol’s back. She cuts herself off with a strangled cry, and goes, twitching, to the ground. Nico follows her a moment later, convulsing. 

Talzin kneels down and stabs the hypos into their necks, one after the other. They slump, unconscious. She steps back and unfurls to her full height. The guards haul the limp bodies of Knol and Nico upright, dragging them off down a hallway. She watches them go with an unsettling gleam in her eye. 

Without turning away, she tosses, “I’ll keep you informed of my progress.” over her shoulder and hurries after them. 

Palpatine nods good naturedly, “Yes. Yes, you do that.” He leisurely follows after her.

Obi-wan peels away from the wall and goes after him, Palpatine pauses just inside the doors, Obi-wan's hand on his arm. He looks down at it and then back up to Obi-wan with agonising slowness. Obi-wan quickly removes it and he gives Obi-wan a blankly pleasant expression. It makes Obi-wan’s skin crawl.

“Mr. Palpatine,” His voice is hard, “this is about protecting people. The greater good. Not profits. Or sadism.”

Palpatine’s expression doesn’t change. Smiling, he says, “You owe me one more.” and then he’s gone, striding off down the hallway. Obi-wan watches him go, the access card he’d stolen sitting heavy in his pocket. 

  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter as apology for missing a week
> 
> Warnings for dehumanising language and mentions of experimentation

The fire crackles in the dark of the cave, Rex pokes at it with a thin stick, shifting the coals. Fay considers the laptop perched on her knees, lips pressed tight together. The screen is taken up by a scan of a Republic Agent’s badge. 

_ So, this must be the mysterious Kenobi Fay talked about.  _

Fay sees him looking and turns the screen, “He’s a security expert, he leaves no footprint. I’ve been working on this for hours but…” Fay shrugs helplessly, “It’s going to take time.” 

Rex considers the screen, “You got a satellite link?” 

Fay blinks at him, looking slightly nonplussed, “No.” 

Rex nods, and holds a hand out, questioning. Fay hands him the laptop and slides over next to him.

He types quickly, “Follow the money. Whoever he’s working for, maybe? That’s how we track militants.” He pulls up a different screen and starts typing again. It’s quiet for a beat, then he says, “I brought you a change of clothes.” He gestures at the bag he’d packed in the church. 

Fay looks up, surprised, then her face breaks out into a gentle smile, “Thank you.” She digs them out and stands up, heading off into the dark. 

Rex starts the program and sets the laptop aside, then stills, considering the fire. He holds out a hand, hovering just over the flames. Then, taking a deep breath, he plunges his hand into the fire. He jerks it back out again with a hiss, cradling it to his chest. 

He starts when Fay says, “Just because we keep living doesn’t mean we stop hurting.” She’s staring at him with a slightly exasperated expression. Rex glances down at his hands, uncurling his fingers with effort. The pink burns are already growing over with brown. 

He flexes them experimentally, “Why us?”

“That way madness lies.” Fay gives him a humorless smile. 

“I thought you were the brains of this outfit.” 

Fay lets out an amused huff of air, “Tell you what I do wonder… is why you? And why now?” The weight of her gaze is heavy, settling across his skin like a physical sensation. Fay looks young, maybe a few years older than Rex. But her eyes, her eyes are  _ ancient. _

Rex looks away, “How.. how old  _ are _ you?” 

Fay is quiet. Rex doesn’t think she’s going to reply when she finally says, “I don’t quite remember. I was alone for a long time before I found anyone like me. A very long time.” She takes a wavering breath, eyes locking onto Rex, “What about you? You have someone?” 

“Just my family. My squad.” 

Fay watches him again for a while before inhaling deeply, “The only way is forward now.”

Rex frowns, “What do you mean?” 

“You’ll always and forever be the young man right there, but everyone around you,” Fay smiles, but her eyes are sad, “they will all grow old, all die. You must learn to let them go.” She holds up a hand when Rex inhales sharply, cutting off whatever he was going to say, “I am a healer at heart. My duty is to help others, but there is a limit to what I can do. Despite everything, I am still human. I have learned how to put my heart and soul into helping someone, to give them everything I have, while still being able to let them go. It is a hard, brutal lesson to learn. But learn it you must. Or your own anger, grief, and guilt will tear you apart.”

Rex stares at Fay for a second, eyes gone wide. His hands tremble and he clenches them where they rest on his knees. Fay gives him another understanding look and turns away, she’ll give him some time to process his own thoughts.

Obi-wan manages to redirect Anakin without much trouble. He barely has time to suggest that Anakin talk to Fox about their next steps before Anakin is off. He spares a moment to think that perhaps this will distract Anakin from his one sided mooning after Padme. 

Obi-wan sighs and heads the opposite direction. Something isn’t right here, things aren’t adding up. The way Palpatine treated Knol and Nico was horrifying. He’d known Fay, Nico, Knol, and Jon. He’d fought with them, he  _ liked _ them, they seemed moral and upright.

He didn’t  _ know _ Palpatine, for all Anakin trusted and cared about him. Besides, Anakin didn’t exactly have the best judgement. What with the way he kept after Padme despite her gentle hints that she wasn’t interested anymore. Obi-wan needed more information. Which was why he was currently heading down into the labs with Palpatine’s key card in hand. 

Listening intently for footsteps, Obi-wan makes his way through the maze of hallways. After a certain point, there aren’t any more security cameras. Whatever is down here, Palpatine doesn’t want any trace. He doesn't find much more than endless sterile white labs when he hears heavy footfalls nearing from around a bend. He darts a look around. _There!_ A small side hallway off to the right. Obi-wan ducks inside. He plasters his back to the wall, facing the opening. He has the element of surprise over anyone who enters. 

The footsteps slow. Obi-wan measures his breaths, chest slowly expanding and contracting. The footsteps continue on. Obi-wan remains still for a few minutes afterward, listening. After he's certain they aren’t coming back he steps away from the wall and takes a look around the small offshoot. All it leads to is a small elevator with key card access. 

He brings out Palpatine’s stolen ID and swipes it. The light blinks and the mechanism whirr to life. The doors slide open silently and Obi-wan, after a brief moment of hesitation, steps inside. No matter how much trepidation he feels, he's missing crucial information. He has to know what was going on. 

The ride is so smooth Obi-wan almost doesn’t realize he's moving until the doors open. He scans the area quickly before stepping out of the elevator. There's a pair of double doors ahead. He crouches and nudges one open, there didn’t appear to be anyone around. He's just about to stand up when there's a low, pained moan.

The hair at the back of his neck stands up and he freezes. The sound trails off. Obi-wan frowns,  _ what on Earth…?  _

He takes a measured breath and rolls forward, coming up with his gun steady. There’s a medical bed in the center of the room, a single form strapped down on it. Obi-wan cautiously stands up, pointing his gun to the floor. He takes a few careful steps forward and gasps softly.

_ Jon. That was Jon. What was he doing here? _ Obi-wan tucks his handgun back into it’s holster and hurries forward. 

Jon?” His voice sounds concerned and too loud in the silence. The man on the bed twitches, his eyelids flickering. He makes a small pained noise, eyebrows drawing together. Obi-wan cautiously reaches forward and lays a hand on his shoulder. A full body shudder runs through Jon’s form and his eyes snap open. His gaze darts around wildly before sluggishly focusing on Obi-wan. Jon frowns, one arm twitching like he’d tried to bring a hand up. 

He licks and lips and softly says, “What…?” His voice sounds cracked and hoarse. 

“Jon what on Earth are you doing here?” Obi-wan knows he sounds bewildered. He puts a hand on Jon’s face, turning his head to get a better look at his pupils. Jon twitches, and Obi-wan goes to pull away whenJon  _ melts _ into his touch.

Jon presses his face into Obi-wan’s hand and sighs, “Captured. Others... Don’t know where.” He jolts suddenly and makes eye contact with Obi-wan, “ _ He knows. _ ” Jon breathes, eyes wide and terrified. 

Obi-wan’s shoulders tense, he  _ really _ doesn’t like the picture he's getting. He pulls away from Jon, wincing at the tiny panicked sound Jon makes. 

He rests a hand on Jon’s arm and says, “Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you, Jon. I’m going to get you out of here.” He brings a hand to his beard as he considers the room.  _ There.  _ A small terminal set up near the head of the medical bed. He hurries over to it and turns it on. It comes awake and opens up the filing program it was running. Obi-wan frowns at the screen. He scrolls back and clicks on the first entry, dated three years ago.

_ Specimen No.1 successfully acquired. Preliminary tests proved extremely enlightening. Specimen unfailing revived itself despite multiple attempts to end it’s life. We will move to more extreme testing once S. approves the project.  _

Obi-wan inhales sharply and clicks on a different file. 

_ Specimen reacts to stimuli as if baseline human. Repeatedly submerging the Specimen in water resulted in events similar to that of a baseline human drowning. Specimen resuscitated an avg. of 3 to 5 minutes after cardiac arrest. Specimen repeatedly begged for it’s life despite- _

Obi-wan stops reading, feeling sick. He opens another file.

_ Specimen No.1 attempted escape. Killed 9 guards barehanded and with improvised weaponry. Finally subdued Specimen by vacuum sealing hallway, asphyxiating the Specimen and 5 remaining guards. Specimen revived 12.53 minutes later. Longer revival period likely due to numerous other injuries. Specimen will be sedated when not undergoing testing until further notice.  _

Obi-wan’s face is hard and cold. Palpatine has obviously been lying to him and Anakin both. Obi-wan fiddles with his watch for a second, before sliding a thin datachip out. He plugs it into the terminal and begins downloading as many files as he can. He turns away and hurries back over to Jon's side. Jon’s hooked up to several IVs, his arms a mess of bruises and needle marks. Obi-wan starts methodically removing them. An exasperated Vokara Che had taught him the proper way to do it after he woke up in medical, ripped his IV lines out, and very nearly bled out one too many times. 

He undoes the restraining straps, wincing in sympathy at the rubbed raw skin underneath. He slides a hand behind Jon’s back and helps him sit up. He’s far too light for Obi-wan’s liking. Though it might make their escape easier, as Obi-wan might have to carry him. Jon swings his legs over the side and stands up, stumbling a few paces before Obi-wan can catch him. 

“Careful, Jon. You’ve enough Rohypnol in your system to bring down several elephants.” Obi-wan’s face is grim as he steadies Jon. He unholsters his gun and holds the stolen keycard out, “Can you carry this?” Jon holds a hand out. Despite the fine tremors wracking through him, his fingers curl tight around the plastic. 

Obi-wan retrieves the datachip and pushes the doors open, stepping out. Jon following a pace behind. The elevator doors slide open and they both enter. Jon leans his head back against the mirrored wall, eyes falling shut. 

Obi-wan watches him for a second before hurriedly looking away, “I’m sorry.”

Jon’s voice is hoarse and barely there, “For what?”

Obi-wan stares at him, stricken.  _ He doesn’t know. He doesn’t _ know, “Jon, I- the others. They’re here.”

Jon jerks around to face him, his eyes wide and slightly manic, “They were captured?”

  
“I’m afraid so, and…” Obi-wan swallows, “and it’s all my fault.” 

When he explains, Jon just drops his head back against the wall of the elevator and whispers, “Shit.” There's a pause, “We have to get them out of there.”

“Palpatine and Dr. Talzin are still with them, along with an armed squad. We’d have no chance, even with your ah… unique abilities.” 

“So we just leave them?” There's a quiet edge to Jon’s voice and he shifts, just slightly, muscles coiling. 

Obi-wan holds his hands out placatingly, “ _ No _ . Absolutely not. Fay is still free. If I can get you out, we can find her, regroup.” 

Jon searches his face for a moment, before he cracks a thin, lopsided smile, “If Fay thinks you’re involved. She’s going to be finding  _ you _ .” 

Obi-wan feels a chill go down his spine, “Ah, yes. Hopefully she’ll give me a chance to explain.” 

  
  



End file.
